Map-displaying easel and container support



April 5, 1949. A. o. MILLER, JR

MAP-DISPLAYING EASEL AND CONTAINER SUPPORT Filed May 26, 1947 hifi W M L H l I INVENTORQ #455270; M44452, 277a Patented Apr. 5,, 1949 MAP-DISPLAYIN EASEL AND CONTAINER SUPPORT -Alberto. Miller, In, San Gabriel, Calif. Application any '26, 1947, Serial No. 750,619

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a collapsible 'easel adapted to adjustably display a map or similar device and provide'in association therewith a fold- "ing shelf adapted to support a sorting caseor other rack or container. g

This invention'has particular utility for Postal Service employees who, in order to meet the re- 'quirements for advancement in the service, are irequired to spend much time in familiarizing "themselves Withthe names and locations'of large numbers of post ofiices'as well as the various rail,

bus, and air routes leadingthereto, within the respective districts within'which they already are operating or the districts to which they are endeavoring to'be advanced. Thetype of'study required necessitates the use of a map of the district "-under consideration and a sorting case containing a large number of pigeonholes, each of which is "identified with one or more of thetransportation "routes leading to the various'post Ofi'lCG'S located in the area shown on the map. The usual equipinent also includes a'large number ofcards, each bearing the name of one of those post offices, and the method of study entails picking the cards up "(meat a time, reading the name of thepostofiice indicated thereon, and placing the card in the pigeonhole which is identified with the name of -the transportation medium best suited for carry- -ing the mail to the named post ofiice under the circumstance and from the starting point assumed as the basis of study.

The standard sorting case is foldable and hence readily portable, as is also the map, so that the "employees are accustomed to carrying them with them and, whenever time which otherwise might "be wasted becomes available, an ambitious em- -'-'ployee can set them up and proceed with his studying. Heretofore, however, it has been necessary to support both the map and the sorting case in any make-shift manner made possible at the time when and place where suchimpromptu studying is being done, such as by placing the opened case in the seat of a chair leaning against the chairs back, and hanging the map over the back of the same or another chair, Such an arrangement, as is readily understandable, is not conducive to the best results since it fails to locate the apparatus at the height most comfortable to the student, nor the map in the best position with relation to the sorting case in order to permit the studentsrapid and facile observation of both. 'The present invention, therefore, seeks to pro- "vide a collapsible easel capable of'supporting the ty'pe'of sorting case and map referred'to in the most readily'accessible position'for "both, so as'to 2 afford the greatest comfort and convenience "for the student, and a minimum of distraction from his concentration upon his studies.

A further object of my present invention is to provide an easel of the general type indicated which may be set up and knocked down quickly and efficiently and readily carried about in a small space.

Accordingly, it is anobject of the invention to provide anarticle of the character described having an outwardly projecting supporting shelf, simultaneously and cooperatively collapsible with said easel and having an upper, notched rib on said shelf adapted to receive in said notches the easel legs upon folding.

Still another purpose is the provision of such an easel having a longitudinally adjustable, map- -elevating holder operatively associated therewith.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, the novelty consisting in the features of construction, combination of parts, the unique relations of the members and the relative proportioning, disposition, and operation thereof, all as more completely outlined'herein and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, which form part of the present specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my map-supporting easel, showing the sorting case mounted thereon ready for use.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same as seen from the rear with the sorting case removed. Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the easel alone, shown in collapsed position.

Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the folded easel of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the joint cohnecting the crossbar and slidable rod.

As illustrated, my easel I0 is constructed of threeupright supporting legs [2, I4, and I6 pivotally joined together by a horizontally disposed pin l8 inserted through their adjacent upper extremities. The outer legs l2 and I6 have their top, inner engaging faces tapered or sloped with respect to their sides so as to smoothly rotate about the pivot pin l8 against the opposite abutting sides of the middle leg l4 disposed therebetween.

A generally rectangular shelf 20 is hingedly attached to the front edges 2| of both side legs !2 and l 6 so as to be movable between an outwardly projecting horizontal position (Figures 1 and 2) and an upwardly folded position (Figures 3 and 4) wherein its upper face22 is disposed adjacent the front edges 2| of the legs. Each outer leg l2 and I6 has attached to its inner side a reinforcing block 26 of equal width and having wedge-shaped ends 28 and 36, the reinforcement being mounted along the shelf attachment line so as to provide a wider mounting surface for the shelf hinge 32 along each leg.

The shelf 26 is provided with a lower, transverse, rearwardly' projecting supporting arm 34, the free rearend of which is connected to. the center leg I 4 by a composite link 40 composed of a pair of fiat slats or arms 42 and 44 disposed on opposite sides of and pivotally connected to the arm 34 at their one end and in similar engagement with opposite sides of the center leg [4 at their other end, being held together at their ends by transverse pivot pins, 46 and, 48 respectively. By this construction, it will be seen that upon opening the easel from the folded position of Figures 3 and 4, the shelf 20 swings down while the center leg. simultaneously moves backto as- ,sume the position of Figures 1 and 2 wherein the link 40, arm 34, and shelf 26 are all horizontally aligned. 1 A wire catch 50 is so mounted on the center leg ,l4 that when desired it may be swung outto en- ;gage the lower face of the upswung shelf and thus retain the same against the edges of the three ,legs when all are disposed in a common plane.

On the upper face 22 of the shelf there is located alongitudinal, discontinuous rib 52 spaced somewhat forwardof therear edge of the shelf and provided with a series of transverse recesses 54 -(three in number) within which the easel legs are disposed to seat when the easel is folded. 3

,In other words, the upswung shelf completely -abuts against the legs l2, l4, and [6 along its entirewidth, the slots 54 in the rib being shaped Qto more or less snugly embrace the thickness of .the center leg l4, or in the case of the outer legs r l2 and I6, to embrace the thickness of the leg plus .that of the reinforcing block 26 at its wedged .end. Such arrangement results in a very strong and firm easel assembly in either collapsed or open position, which can be easily carried about when thus compactly-collapsed, without fear of its .accidentally opening up.

Along the rear edge of the center leg l4 there .is disposed anelongated, generally rectangular rod 56 movably retained thereagainst by a series of U-shaped staples or brackets. 58, 60,; and 62, the rod being longitudinally slidable beneath said embracing brackets so that it may be extended beyond the top of its supporting leg It. A crossbar 64 can be removably attached-at its center to :the upper end ofthe slidable'rod 56, any suitable means of attachment being satisfactory provided thecrossbar 64 is retained substantially horizontal so as to support, themap 66, the upper edge ,6,1 of which is laid over the crossbar 64 soas to hang down a short distance in back thereof. The

-means for removably attaching the crossbar 64 .to the upper end of the slidable rod 56, which have .been chosen for illustration comprises a short tongue 66 rigid with and projecting upwardly. be-

covered by a strip 74 of metal rigidly attached at its ends to the crossbar 64 on opposite sides of the notch 12. r Q.

So as to permit collapsing the easel to the smallest possible space, a notch .16 is provided in the 70 1 "tending posltion and an upswung position where map 66 suspended above. I l Accordingly, it will be seen yided a highly useful and efficient and collapsthe easel is collapsed.

. A wedge 80 is slidably disposed under the upper .U-shaped bracket 58 along with the slidable rod 56, the function of this wedge 80 being to releasably locate the slidable rod 56 in any selected position of vertical adjustment and thereby hold it at whatever extended position may be desired to support the map 66 in its optimum location.

When the easel is erected by having its legs [2,

1 I4,.and IBseparated to their most widely spread ...position, the shelf 2|] will automatically be swung to its horizontal position so that a standard study case 82 of the type .commonly employed by postal employees may be placed at the rear of the shelf -20, .being tilted rearwardly toward the easel by reason of the longitudinal shelf rib 52. In such manner the forward position of the shelf is available for holding. cards or. other articles which can-then be sorted into pigeonholes 12 of the case while checking locations or other data on the that I have proible combination map-supporting and case-holdiing easel which has special utility for sorting letters, cards, and the like, but which may be used for a great variety of other purposes as well. While I have shown and described in some de- 'taila presently preferred embodiment of my .easel assembly, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the construction *and operation thereof within the scope of the subsequently claimed invention which is to be :construed broadly and limited only by the prior art.

I claim:

tending position and an upswung position wherein the upper face of said' shelf abuts against said "pair of legs, a link pivotally connecting said shelf .and the third leg whereby said leg is extended rearwardly frm its collapsed position in coplanar .alignmentwi th said pair of legs as said shelf is simultaneously swung down, and a T-shaped .5

member having its center arm longitudinally slidable along one of said legs and its cross arm 'disposed adjacent the upper end thereof wherebya' map may be suspended'from the cross arm above the downswung shelf.

2i'A deviceof the character described comcent their upper ends, a transversely disposed shelf hingedly mounted on a pair of said legs so as tqbe swingable between a horizontally exin the upper face of said shelf abuts against said pair of legs, and a link pivotally connecting said shelf and the, third leg whereby said leg is extended rearwardlyfromits collapsed position in.

coplanar alignment with said pair of legs as said shelf is simultaneously swung down.

3. A device of the character described comprising three legs pivotally joined together adjacent their upper ends, a transversely disposed 5 disposed adjacent the upper end thereof whereby a map may be suspended from the crossarm above the downswung shelf, and means for removably mounting said crossarm upon the under surface of said shelf.

ALBERT O. MILLER, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 486,549 Terslose Nov. 22, 1892 15 753,490 Hill Mar. 1, 1904 2,127,494 Tepper Aug. 23, 1938 

